The NFL’s Big Book writes many stories each year. The Tennessee Titans and their offense were only a side note for a long time, but now everyone knows that Ryan Tannehill, Derrick Henry and Co belong to the league elite. Also thanks to her young wide receiver AJ Brown, who like his former teammate DK Metcalf sets new standards in the position.
Before the 2019 draft, a photo went around the world, at least around the NFL globe. It shows two young men without their t-shirts posing for the camera in a weight room. Their torsos look as if they were carved out of the side of a rock massif, muscles everywhere you look. In combination with his outstanding NFL Combine performance, this photo is one of the main engines of the hype around DK Metcalf, which can be seen on the right. His neighbor, Ole Miss teammate AJ Brown, gets less of the hype. And yet he is drafted a few positions ahead of Metcalf.
This about to bigger than Odell and Jarvis Landry when they entered the draft . Two potential 1st round draft picks from the same school. @nfl I hope you’re ready . @olemissfb @exossports pic.twitter.com/UBEJDjZBNy
— AJ Brown (@Brown1arthur) February 21, 2019
Almost two years later, any hype surrounding DK Metcalf has come true. The Seattle Seahawks’ monster receiver has become one of the NFL’s biggest matchup problems and delivers highlights like on the assembly line. His friend AJ Brown is in no way inferior to him and has developed into a truly dominant receiver. That’s how the two friends always announced it, and that’s exactly how it happened. “As soon as we got to college we were always talking about our three-year plan,” recalls Brown of the common goal. “Three years of college and then we wanted to dominate the NFL.”
AJ Brown is every NFL cornerback’s nightmare
Dominating works really well. Only Davante Adams and Travis Kelce manage more receiving yards per game than DK Metcalf and AJ Brown is also just outside the top ten in this category. Brown managed 1051 receiving yards, eight touchdowns in his rookie season and moved into the AFC Championship Game with the Titans. All of this makes you want more. “Every day I want to be better than the day before,” said Brown, who missed two games this season with a bruised knee. “There is always a weakness to work on. It always goes on, I always look forward.”
Brown speaks with the same enthusiasm that he plays football with. His body measurements of 1.83 meters and 103 kilograms make him a nightmare for every cornerback, especially because they usually weigh a few pounds less. Once Brown has the ball and turns his hips in the direction of play, it can hurt for the opponent when he tackles the Titans receiver. “I like it when I can hand out a few hits,” laughs Brown.
He’s got the big Jerry Rice on speed dial
The fact that he uses these words as an offensive player shows how much he relies on his physique in a direct duel with the defenders. There is much more to his game, however. He has a natural feeling for freedom in the secondary, has a large catch radius and is able to make use of suboptimal passes thanks to his strong hands. The fact that he runs over 40 yards in under 4.50 seconds also forces the defender to respect his deep routes.
THE AMAZING ARTHUR JUAN! ???? @Brown1arthur
????: Watch #TENvsJAX on CBS pic.twitter.com/aktkBJM8W5
— Tennessee Titans (@Titans) December 13, 2020
He found inspiration for his game from what is probably the greatest NFL receiver of all time, Jerry Rice. “We are from the same area in Oktibbeha County and that was how we came into contact,” explains Brown. Rice also enjoys the good relationship between the two. “He’s great to hang out with. He’s got a great work ethic and I can’t wait to keep pursuing him,” said the Hall Of Famer.
DK Metcalf: “I learned everything from AJ”
The work attitude is no coincidence, it also comes from days together at Ole Miss with DK Metcalf. At that time, the former high school rivals pushed each other, lived together and became best friends. “DK has always spurred me on,” admits Brown. “We spurred each other on and worked very hard together.” Especially in the weight room, Brown used his “brother” presence to reach new heights. Metcalf, on the other hand, looked closely on the football field.
“I was the type for the weight room, AJ was the football type,” laughs Metcalf at their relationship at the time. “Everything I have learned on the field comes from him. I have always watched him drills and learned a lot of little things that are still extremely useful to me today.” If you watch them on the field, then the parallels are unmistakable. And maybe AJ Brown is a lot more than just the light version of his buddy …
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